


paradox of memory

by zerotransfat



Category: Devilman (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angst, Developing Relationship, F/F, Fix-It, Gen, Hope, Hurt/Comfort, In which humanity has hidden depths that Satan does not expect, Incorporates elements of original manga and various spin-offs, M/M, Memories from time loops, Time Loop
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-14
Updated: 2018-05-08
Packaged: 2019-03-04 14:18:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13366482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zerotransfat/pseuds/zerotransfat
Summary: He remembers. Remembers. Andremembers.The morning after that Akira’s first transformation, he starts up from his stark white sheets, heartbeat racing and vision blurry. With sweaty palms, he curls into himself and shakes.(In which Satan’s original plans derail spectacularly, and Ryo Asuka is a bigger part of the Fallen Angel than first thought.)





	1. when the words weigh (heavy on the heart)

**Author's Note:**

> Devilman Crybaby had various crybabies in it, and so am I, typing the first ideas of this fic into a Google doc at 5AM

_Love does not exist._

_There is no such thing as love. Therefore, there is no sorrow._

_That’s what I thought._

_The air is freezing against my bare skin and I am unbearably cold—I shouldn’t feel it, but I do. Why is that?_

_I shift, and I feel skin upon skin. The sensation sends electric tingles down my spine, making me shiver. I look up at the stars for just a moment longer and, smiling, turn to Akira._

_“Akira, why am I the only one talking?” I say, and his dead eyes look at nothing._

_Wash. Rinse. Repeat. The same dead eyes set in different faces, framed by different haircuts, and yet—and yet—_

_The scream that rips out of me is the same every time._

_Again—and again—and again—_

 

* * *

 

He screams, scrabbling at his bedsheets. With a snap and a burst of light six wings, ethereal and terrible, stretches out wide and shatters the surrounding windows into pieces, a cacophony of noise that has nothing to do with breaking glass filling his ears as he keens, an unfamiliar burning behind his eyes leaving a trail of tears down his cheeks.

Satan, First of Creation and First of the Fallen, curls into himself as his wings gather around him, shaking like leaves in a storm. He did not need to breathe and yet no breath would come, he did not feel the elements and yet he feels frozen to the core, and there _should_ be no such thing as love and yet his chest aches with the sensation.

There is a crash as Jenny ( _Psycho Jenny, of course, ever so faithful_ ) busts down the door, taken aback by the sudden wind. Her eyes widen as she sees the glass shards and feathers, Satan shaking on the bed.

“My lord!” She calls out, concerned. “Tis too early! You should not be awake yet!”

Then, comes a moment of strange serenity. In that second, everything freezes—the morning light through the windows, the feathers stationary midair—and Satan takes a deep breath.

When he flings the crumpled covers off his body, he’s Ryo Asuka again. “I’m leaving,” he says haltingly to Jenny. “I need to go, right now.” He lingers just long enough to put shoes on and grab the car keys before he’s barrelling towards the elevator, ignoring his subordinate’s protests. 

Even the few seconds needed to call the elevator up is too much. He goes directly for the stairs, the sound of his pulse seeming to drown out all else.

_ Akira. _

He needs to see Akira, right _now_.

Ryo practically sprints to his car and without a moment to spare is roaring down the street, breaking the quiet of a city that hasn't woken up yet.

 

* * *

 

The house Ryo pulls up to is ordinary in every way, in a nice enough part of town. It looks just like all the others nearby.

The person living here is anything but ordinary.

He checks the GPS signal. Akira is home.

Ryo takes a deep breath and rings the doorbell. The wait is the longest thing he has ever experienced, beyond even the millennia he spent in torment as Satan.

Akira is the one that opens the door, and the sight of him takes his breath away. His eyes frantically trace the broad line of his shoulders, the new height, and instantly Ryo’s eyes tear up as he sees Akira’s eyes, alive and _looking at him_. Even before he thinks it through Ryo is stepping forward into his startled arms, clutching him to his chest like it is the end of the world again.

The sound that escapes him is as much relief as grief, as Ryo breaks down in Akira’s foyer. He feels Akira's arms, hesitant, wind around his shoulders, hugging him back, which just makes him cry harder—great big sobs that shake him to his core. The sound must get to the other boy because Akira starts crying too, and Ryo is glad because this means this man still had tears to shed for someone like him. His fingers claw harder into Akira's back.

_This time, this time for sure._

_This time—you’ll live._

_No matter what._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basic premise: Satan wakes up MUCH earlier/gets time loop memories from all the times they went through this bullshit, then proceeds to fuck his own plans up spectacularly
> 
> I love the ending of the OG manga and Crybaby, but holy hell--I like to think humanity has a bit more potential than this (one of the reasons why I love Good Omens so much). Beyond heaven and hell, I think humanism speaks louder.
> 
> AKA: A multi-chapter work that deals with time loops and escape, Akira being confused as all fuck but still a crybaby, and Satan dealing with his feelings and humanity. Oh, and the apocalypse, but the feelings are part of that.
> 
> (AKA: They All Deserved Fucking Better, And Here I Am Rolling Up My Sleeves)


	2. i am lost and led (only by the stars)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After so many cycles, Satan finally figures out that honesty is the best policy. 
> 
> The fallout is...surprisingly quiet.
> 
> Meanwhile, Miki continues to be the most well-adjusted person in the city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOOOOO BOY YOU GUYSSSSSS wow I guess we all wanted fix it fic really badly huh?
> 
> Anyway, did my best to consider what Akira's reaction will be this chapter. Here goes nothing.

They move up to Akira’s bedroom, where Miki Makimura brings up a tray of tea and concerned looks for the both of them. Ryo expects to feel the familiar oily jealousy in the pit of his stomach at the sight of the girl, but instead feels nothing; all other sensation is lost in the ocean of unease and relief that Akira is still alive.

The girl leaves, and they’re both left alone. Ryo finds himself sitting on Akira’s bed, breathing around the utterly alien rawness in his chest, trying to look anywhere but at Akira’s face.

(He has the sneaking suspicion that if he did he’ll burst into tears again.)

“So, what happened?” Akira starts. “I know last night was wild, but I didn’t expect you to show up like this. And where’s your cast? Are you okay?”

The words are stuck in his throat. “Akira…I…”

A deep breath. “I need to show you something.”

Slowly, like he is approaching an easily spooked animal, Satan gently opens his wings. Akira’s eyes widen, looking up at the feathers that brush against the ceiling of his room, then back at Ryo. 

“Ryo-chan,” he whispers, then pauses.

“Watch,” The angel whispers back, and with a motion of his wings their surroundings change in the blink of an eye. Instead of the cozy bedroom, they are watching the genesis of the world. They watch the churning of the oceans, the formation of continents, the first stirrings of life. All around them, plants begin to grow, reaching for the skies. Then, slowly, comes a flash of intelligence, the emergence of a new, primal species: demons.

“This is the beginning of the world, just after Creation. The earth was not inhabited by humans, but by demons. I was there, watching their birth, their growth, and how they established dominance as the overlords of the Earth as Satan, the first angel. I liked them, for their straightforward hearts if nothing else. And then—”

There is the darkness of space, and then a flash of horrid light, in terrible, non-Euclidean geometries pierces the surface of the earth to the screams of dying demons.

“God, for the sake of His perfect world, decided that demons were a mistake. He decided to wipe them off the surface of this planet, for nothing other than existing. I could not accept that, and rebelled against Him. I defended the demons, and fought God—just as you wanted to fight demons to defend humans…maybe it was never about the demons. Perhaps I was just looking for a cause to champion.” Satan gathers his wings closer, as if to shield him from the memory. Slowly, the vision fades around them and then they’re sitting in Akira’s bedroom again.

“After the skirmish with God, the demons and I retreated into hibernation, until we gathered enough power to conquer the earth and destroy His plans, and end Him.” He takes a deep breath, and barrels through the lump in his throat. “I…I have a confession to make. I’ve been lying to you the whole time, even if I didn’t know it. I only care about you, not the rest of the humans. The goal was never to save humanity from the beginning.” Ryo shakes his head, looking down at his hands. 

Akira says nothing. When he musters enough courage to look up, Ryo can read nothing from his face, and with a sinking feeling in his gut watches the other slowly get up from his chair, his brown eyes welling up with tears. Without a single word, the devilman turns and leaves.

One step. Two steps. Then, faster and faster, before slamming the door downstairs.

Ryo watches him go, and in that instant sees the shadow of his back that last time they met before that final battle. 

Just like last time, he lets Akira go and sits there, staring at the doorway.

Numbness.

 

* * *

 

Ryo comes to back to the present when he suddenly becomes aware of someone talking to him.

“Y’know, you could have waited until after breakfast to unleash some devastating news on Akira.” Miki Makimura says as she sets a plate of madeleines onto Akira’s desk. There is a fresh cup of tea in Ryo’s hands; he must have taken it unconsciously when she handed it to him. He makes no move to drink it.

“It’s better than not telling him. I’ve seen the consequences of doing that.” He continues staring into his tea—his reflection gives him no answers even as foreign memories repeat behind his eyes. There is a stalk of green tea floating straight up and he watches it cause ripples on the surface. “I did…something unforgivable to him.”

“Was he crying?” Miki says knowingly, and Ryo snaps his head up, teeth bared in a snarl. The girl’s clear green eyes meets his steadily.

“Of course he was! I’ve—” he cuts himself off. “I don’t need to tell you _anything._ ”

“Well, if you look at it logically,” she says, and Ryo can’t hold back the bark of bitter laughter that rises in his chest, “you wouldn’t cry like that for someone you plan on not caring about in the future, right?”

“What?”

“From what I can tell, while you may be a bad influence on Akira he still cares about you—I mean, yesterday all you said to him was ‘Come, Akira!’ and he _went!_ ” Miki throws her hands up. “That _means_ something, y’know? Akira cries hardest when he’s crying for someone other than himself. And from the way he was bawling when he dashed out the door just now? You’ve still got prime real estate in his heart, bucko, so do your best and patch things up with him, hm?” Miki reaches out and claps Ryo on the shoulder, despite the boy side-eying the hand like it has personally offended him in some way.

The girl stands to leave, pats some specks of lint off her skirt. “Oh, and remember to finish those cakes! Mom says you’re too thin, and I agree!” With a wave and a laugh, Miki leaves Ryo sitting there, staring at her back as she calls her goodbyes to her family before she goes to school.

He seems to be doing a lot of that today. Just staring.

The angel sits there. He hesitates, and then reaches out to take a single madeleine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next update will actually not be that far away, probably either in a couple hours or tomorrow (dependent on whether I fall asleep or not)
> 
> Next chapter: Akira does hardcore parkour over the rooftops and meets a dude in wheelchair who may actually be something more terrifying than God, more at 11 (AKA My Shin Megami Tensei Roots Are Showing)


	3. Interlude I: Every Cycle, You've Always Mattered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira storms out of the house, only to meet a really creepy cryptic dude in a wheelchair. 
> 
> The man, despite giving really confusing advice, is of marginal help. 
> 
> Meanwhile, the city stirs...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I would post this like yesterday.
> 
> I am a fucking liar. But that's because I planned out more of the story, and this thing is quite frankly turning into a monster, holy shit, I have like 5 pages of notes just planning out story beats and character interactions and OH GOD
> 
> AKA RIP my ass

There is a certain serenity in mindless movement.

He lets himself go, drowning out the echoing doubts in his head with pure physicality— with preternatural strength he flies above the rooftops, jumping from a staircase to another building in a single breathtaking leap.

_Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it._

In midair, he grabs a pipe and swings around, changing direction instantly. With flexibility world-class gymnasts would kill for, he flips over the railing at the top of the abandoned high-rise building at the edge of town. 

With shaky breaths that has nothing to do with exhaustion, Akira stares blankly into the middle distance. _Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it._

He’s not stupid. _Demons, conquer the earth? The plan was never to save humanity from the beginning? It…_

_Hurts._

The railing under his hands crumples as he grips it too tightly. He angrily dashes the tears from his face with the back of his hand and then clenches them hard, so hard that rivulets of yellow ichor drip down as his nails pierce his palm. 

“Hello there. You seem troubled.”

The devilman jumps and whips around at the unexpected sound, his guard up, body already half-shifted into demon form. “Who are you?!”

The wheelchair-bound man was definitely _not_ on the roof when he first got here, and yet he didn’t hear him approach at all— an impossibility, considering his heightened senses. Akira feels the hairs on the back of his neck rise the longer he looks at the red-suited man, carefully observing every tiny movement of those templed fingers. He is smiling, his eyes hidden behind the lenses of his glasses.

“Do not be alarmed— I’m not a demon. As to who I am…merely a concerned party. I am Stephen.” The man spreads his hands in the universal gesture of non-threat, but everything at the bottom of Akira’s gut tells him that this Stephen is incredibly dangerous, for all that he’s in a wheelchair. He backs away a step, his back hitting the railing.

“Concerned party? Concerned for what?”

Stephen’s smile widens. “Why, the same concern you have. The survival of humanity.”

“What?”

“Interesting. Very interesting. You will soon be tested by all manners of beings, from demons to the heavens. They will come to you in all shapes and forms—either as illusions or humans. Will you give in to their temptations? Or will you strike your own course?” Stephen’s outline begins to fade, becoming hazier by the second. “If you wish to walk the neutral path, I will lend you a hand. Know this: there are fractures among the demons, and soon the situation will change beyond your recognition. You need only to take that one’s hand.”

Akira grimaces. “What do you mean?!”

The man just keeps _grinning_ , as if he hasn’t spoken. “Good luck. I’m counting on you to make the right choice.”

The next time Akira blinks, the man is gone.

The devilman takes a moment, then turns in the direction of home, a kind of crystal clarity and resolution of purpose forming in his mind.

He still has things to settle with Ryo.

 

* * *

 

Troubled, Akira makes his way back to the Makimura house as fast as he can. At this point he has already missed half a day of school, but he has too many things on his mind to deal with that at the moment. Ryo is still in his room when he comes in through the window, sitting in his bed nursing a half-full cup of tea; as he enters, the blond stands up quickly. “Akira?”

“I haven’t forgiven you. Why…why did you tell me any of this? Any of it?”

Ryo bites his lower lip. “This…this isn’t the first time any of this has happened. Every time, the demon invasion fails, and the Earth is destroyed by God along with the last remnants of humanity and demons, and then He creates it anew, fashioning a new world, just to make it suffer. The thing that’s changed this time around is that I recovered my memories of prior loops much earlier. Usually, I don’t remember until it is too late, and every prior time, I find you and I at odds if I don’t tell you the truth. So I did.”

Akira takes a deep breath, holds it. He plops down on his chair. “Why do I matter?”

A soft look that Akira has never seen in Ryo’s eyes surfaces, and he finds himself stunned in the face of that look. “Oh, Akira. Every cycle, every loop, you’ve always mattered. Every time, I contrive for Amon, the strongest of the demons, to fuse with you—above all else, I wanted you to live.” Pain etches itself upon that familiar face. “And every time…you don’t. If trying the same thing over and over doesn’t work, then a change of plans must be made. YHVH cannot be defeated by demons alone. If humanity and demons can hurt each other so much, then working together they can defeat the Great Will. Together, _we_ can defeat God and end this hopeless cycle.”

The angel holds out a single hand. “Perhaps for the last time, please. Akira, help me walk this path.”

Akira studies his oldest friend, his thoughts racing. He looks at the outstretched hand. 

Stephen’s voice echoes in his head. _You need only to take that one’s hand._

_Come, Akira_.

He takes it, and it’s not forgiveness. He says as much, and Ryo seems to understand.

But it’s something. A change.

A first step.

 

* * *

 

 

Word spreads in the back alleys, whispered at Sabbath parties. The news sends shockwaves as it makes the rounds, the unprecedented move surprising many.

In the dark of the night, hidden by the new moon, numerous creatures arrive, converging at a single location: a warehouse in the outskirts of the city. They come, by flying through the air, crawling and running and slithering. Some come as their primal forms, while others come in human skins, shedding them as they see their peers. A murmur travels through them, a sense of anticipation hanging in the air.

_Lord Satan. Lord Satan is calling._

_We answer._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To all who've played SMT: Satan in the Devilman universe is this really weird mix of Lucifer and Satan from the SMT universe, but with this cycle instead of being the incarnation of Chaos like YHVH is the incarnation of Law he's shifted into a more Neutral alignment, and we all know Neutral is usually best route ;)
> 
> Akira and Ryo's relationship is nowhere _near_ being repaired; Ryo is still a bit of a dumbass when it comes to emotion, and Akira DEFINITELY has not forgiven him for the betrayal. However, the angel is learning, and Akira hasn't been betrayed in this universe yet, so we can call it a start.
> 
> Next chapter: Demon Board Meeting, in which things go...kind of sideways. Spurned lovers and more betrayed feelings and a change of company mission statement, oh my! AKA If Demons Are A Business Some Stockholders Are Not Happy™.


	4. cage me like an animal (a crown of gems and gold)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Sabbath that does not go well.
> 
> Sirene is heartbroken, a rival emerges, and there is a leak in the information web...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Sirene** : take me you big sexy  
>  **Akira** : i'm gay

“Oi, Ryo.” Akira tosses an apple at him and he catches it with ease, absent-mindedly turning the waxy surface of the fruit in his hands. “You sure about this?”

“As far as I can tell, this is probably the best way. Why lie about it? I have no need for subterfuge.”

“Isn’t Satan called the Father of Lies?”

“That’s Lucifer. Don’t believe everything you’re told in the scriptures.” Ryo holds up the apple wryly. “Care to share?”

From the grin Akira flashes, the irony isn’t lost on the devilman. Ryo takes the knife he’s tucked into his coat and slices the fruit in half, tossing a part of it to Akira. The other boy plops down onto the wooden crate beside Ryo, and the angel can feel the unnatural heat of his body down his side, just an inch apart. Without a hint of hesitation, Akira dashes the fruit in a few bites.

Ryo eats his half more sedately, the sweetness of it lingering on his tongue. He finds his eyes drawn to the sharpness of Akira’s teeth, and by extension his lips.

It’s a moment of quiet, a bit of calmness in what is to be quite hectic times for the two of them. When they’re done, Ryo takes the cores and with a flash of his light, burns them to nothing, leaving nothing but the scent of apple in the warehouse slowly filling with demons.

They seem to take the flash as a starting signal; while before the collective demons were giving the two of them their space now they crowd closer. _Lord Satan,_ they whisper reverently. _Amon, the Strongest._

At that name, a bewitching figure makes her way out of the crowd. While still clad in human form, she is quickly shedding those traits, abandoning soft curves for savage talons, long platinum hair for plumage, her teeth sharpening into fangs in her mouth as she smiles.

“Amon!” Sirene says, arms spread wide. “I’ve been calling and calling these past lonely nights, but you have not responded once. While I do like a bit of hard to get, isn’t this a little cruel?” In a single sinuous motion, she tries to capture Akira in her arms as they snake out to reach his frame—

—only to be thwarted as Akira simply leans back in his seat, leaving Sirene to awkwardly flail, overbalanced. She seems to not mind, instead turning the motion into a sprawl, draping herself on the lines of Akira’s body. She looks up at him seductively, deliberately leaning in to emphasize her figure.

“Why don’t you shed that human skin of yours and take me? We haven’t seen each other in so _long_ …” She trails a talon up Akira’s black slacks, smirking as she did. 

She is stopped by a single hand on her wrist. “Sirene,” Ryo says, voice deceptively light. “Return to your position. I have called you all here for a reason, and time is of the essence.” His grip tightens as his voice deepens, tightens with implied threat. “ _Please_ , pay attention.”

With an exasperated sigh, the demon disentangles herself from Akira, pouting as she did. “Why, Lord Satan! If I didn’t know any better, I would say you’re jealous!” She says, eyes narrow. Ryo only raises a single eyebrow. With a huff, she retreats back into the crowd, although Akira can still feel her gaze.

Psycho Jenny stands, spreading her arms and turns to address the assembled host of demons. “Apologies for calling you all on short notice. It is Lord Satan’s wish that we are gathered here today.”

“When Lord Satan calls, we are bound to answer,” A towering demon with three heads says, walking forwards. He bows to the two of them sitting on the crate. “Your faithful general, Zennon, is present. For what purpose have you called us forth?”

“One of utmost importance. There has been a change in plans—we are withdrawing from the invasion of humanity.” Ryo says.

There is a murmur of unease; demons begin to mutter to each other as Zennon’s three faces instantly furrow his brows. “My Lord? A change of plans? I must protest this decision—the covert invasion into human society has been incredibly successful. We have control in all levels, and we are ready to crush them in a matter of days! Why?!”

“And what of it?” Ryo retorts. “What purpose is there, in destroying humanity? Our main goal should have been to eliminate the true enemy of demonkind all along—God and His Angels. Destroying humanity will be nothing but a sidenote, a waste of resources. And it would make us hypocrites of the worst kind.” He smiles, razor sharp. “I am Satan, First of Creation and First of the Fallen. I do not lie. I do not cheat. And most certainly, I have had enough of _hypocrisy_.”

“I do not accept this! I _cannot_ accept this!” Zennon growls, the sound travelling over the shocked murmurs of the other demons. He towers over Ryo, who continues lounging on the wooden crate like it was a throne, looking up at him a calm smile that definitely did not reach his icy blue eyes. Satan’s aide-de-camp steps forward in-between the demon and her lord.

“Do you mean to betray Lord Satan’s wishes?!” Psycho Jenny shouts, fur bristling. “What do you mean by this, _Zennon!_ ”

“This is no betrayal!” The other demon roars. “It is not a betrayal, if Satan has betrayed us first!” Zennon casts wildly about the room, looking for support, and his eyes land on Akira. “Amon!” He shouts. “Surely, Amon the Strongest wouldn’t stand for this utter nonsense?”

For the first time the entire meeting, Akira looks up, and the surrounding demons gasp and whisper all the harder at his brown eyes, so utterly human. He remains silent for a moment longer, then:

“I am not Amon.”

Pandemonium breaks loose in the warehouse.

Satan stops all sound by unfurling their wings—with a snap, ethereal feathers outstretch, the brilliance illuminating the dark of the warehouse. They freeze in place as white pinions drift lazily in the air, their faces upturned to the sight.

“I am the First of Creation. I have seen the birth of the universe, the genesis of the world, the birth of demons. I loved you then, for your primal and clear hearts. God did not, and chose to wipe you out; to give you a fighting chance I stood with you, for I loved you then as I love you now.” Satan spread his arms. “I will not see your hearts be tainted with the same hypocrisy of the angels. I will not allow you to to destroy humanity.

Turn from that path, and follow me! I muster the forces to stand against the greatest enemy of both humanity and demonkind—YHVH! And who better to command the forces than a Devilman, with the power of the strongest demon and the heart of the strongest human?”

The demons simply stand there, entranced by Satan’s words. Their eyes fill with uncertainty and wonder as they look at the two of them, side by side—Satan’s ethereal white and Akira, transformed, dark as night.

Then, Zennon whispers into the silence, quietly. “This,” he says, “this is the biggest betrayal. This cannot be forgiven. You have ruined him.”

“ _Amon!_ ” Sirene yells, her voice nearing a screech. “This can’t be true! Amon! Amon wouldn’t be so weak to be just _taken over_ by a _human!_ ” She roars, her voice full of rage. “Amon! He must be lying! _Amon!_ ”

Akira growls. “How many times do I have to tell you…” In a single flash, before Sirene could even react, the devilman is in front of her. With a devastating hit to the stomach, he knocks the demon flying into the concrete wall of the warehouse. “ _I’m not Amon!_ ”

“Sirene!” Kaim shouts as he rushes over to the other demon, trying to support her as she struggles into a sitting position; she angrily shakes him off.

“Bullshit! That power can’t be anything but Amon’s! You filthy human, you fucking get out of him right now!” She screams, her feathers bristling. 

“It’s useless.” Satan says, serenely. “Heart of the strongest human means the strongest heart, Sirene.”

Akira pulls himself to his full height, his leathery wings spread wide as the shadows creep up his body, shrouding him in darkness. He towers over them, every bit as powerful and intimidating as Amon alone.

No, perhaps even more so.

“I am Akira Fudo! Amon’s strength is both mine and his! My heart is both his and mine! I am Devilman, and _you cannot defeat me!_ ” Akira’s voice booms, and the demons feel those words reverberate in their very bones. Their instincts resound, in the deepest parts of their psyche: _this is true._

Sirene shakes, then drops to her knees. “No,” she whispers. “No.”

Psycho Jenny speaks up. “Submit to Lord Satan, oh demonkind. It is the Lord’s wish, and it is in our best interests. United, we must strike down God!” All around them, a clear division began; some agreed, either on principle or just acknowledgement of simple strength. Some did not.

Zennon continues to stand tall, his voice a clarion call for the dissenting faction. “This betrayal cannot be borne!” With a flash of power, the demon smashes a hole in the roof, his powerful wings lifting him up, Sirene and Kaim silent beside him. “Hear me well, Angel of Treachery! We will not forget this!” In flashes of feather and scale, a fraction of demons leave with the general, a dark cloud ascending to the night sky. 

On this night, demonkind is divided.

 

* * *

 

“What the fuck,” he whispers to himself, even as his hand shakes on his camcorder.

With panicked motions, he races to his car, throwing his camera and tripod hurriedly into the passenger seat as he carefully drives out of the block, making sure to be out of earshot before he stomps on the gas, tearing down the street in the middle of the night.

Koji Nagasaki prays to whatever would listen as he speeds out of the warehouse district. Fuck, to think all he wanted was some footage of a Sabbath party…

His phone rings with a familiar ringtone, and he glances at the call display. With quick hands, he presses the answer call button on his wireless earpiece.

“Holy fuck, Hijiri,” he gasps, half hysterical. “You will not believe the night I’m having…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who've played Nocturne: ;))))))))))
> 
> For those of you who haven't, don't worry. It'll make sense in time.
> 
> But anyway. By my calculations, Satan spent about 90% of this chapter being thirsty for Akira--who the fuck am I kidding, he's always 100% thirsty for Akira
> 
> Next Update: The Airport Incident, Where Miki Tags Along Because She Wants to See Aunt Sumiko (AKA Things go off the rails...)


	5. eat me like a cannibal (chase the neon throne)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mother-son and sibling-sibling reunion turns chaotic.
> 
> Events spin out of even the best laid plans, even ones laid by a future that has already happened in the past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm......so sorry this is so late but phew I'm back, for now. I've been chipping away at this for literally months, so...here.
> 
> Also, RIP Stephen Hawking. You will always be in the Axiom of my heart.

_“…the National Meteorological Society is holding a fundraising gala in celebration of the Claire-Luna convergence, where many dignitaries are expected to make an appearance, including the Prime Minister. Similar events will be held throughout the city, taking advantage of the prime vantage point as it will be the only time a Claire-Luna convergence becomes visible to the naked eye in the Northern Hemisphere for the next three hundred years.”_

The newscaster is still in the middle of signing off when Ryo lazily flicks a finger at the screen, sending a whisper of power directly through the circuitry and turning it off. Akira, wrestling with three separate stacks of reports, turns to stare at him incredulously. “Really, Ryo? You couldn’t have just used the remote?”

Ryo pointedly ignores him, choosing to look up at the sky through the windows instead. With a snap of his fingers, the glass panels go clear, letting morning sunlight stream through the floor-to-ceiling fixtures. Claire hangs abnormally large and bright in the azure sky, silvery white through the clouds.

“What is He up to now…?” he murmurs, deep in thought.

Ryo is snapped out of his musings when Akira dumps a pile of reports onto his lap, face annoyed. “Look, Ryo. You dumped this ‘General of the Demonic Forces’ job on me out of nowhere in front of an entire species, so you take responsibility, _damn it!_ ” Akira pinches at the bridge of his nose as his phone starts ringing, and his stressed expression deepens as he looks at the call display.

“Akira! What are you up to now?” Miki’s voice is bubbly over the line as soon as he picks up.

Akira puts his phone between his shoulder and his ear keeping it in place as he struggles to keep his hands free to stabilize more stacks of reports. “Uh, nothing much, just…hanging around,” he says, and gestures frantically at the various demons crowded around the diagrams table in the centre of Ryo’s penthouse apartment to keep quiet. One particular demon (in the form of a tanuki) gives him a mischievous look as it barks loud enough for Miki to say, “What on earth was that?”

Akira glares. “Pre-dinner snack. I’m thinking nabe,” he says, and the tanuki dives behind another demon, gleefully cackling as it goes, risking the structural integrity of several logistical reports which Ryo saves with a flick of a finger. The papers float in the air as Akira gratefully nods at the blond.

“Well, don’t ruin your appetite, Mom’s making hamburg steak tonight—ah, speaking of moms, Auntie Sumiko called. She said that she needs to see you as soon as she lands tomorrow.” Miki says. Akira frowns.

“She’s coming back? Did she say why?”

“She said something about your dad. Auntie Sumiko’s arriving first thing in the morning so don't stay out too long!”

“I hear ya, I hear ya.” Akira grumbles and hangs up to find Ryo staring at him. He shrugs and says, “My mom is coming back tomorrow—something must have happened for her to just come back so suddenly.”

The angel just stares at Akira, opening his mouth and then closing it, and he is starting to get uncomfortable when Ryo says, sheepishly, “With all the commotion, I forgot.”

“What?”

 

* * *

 

“What do you _mean_ , my mom’s going to be killed?!”

“Look, just think about it this way—with the way things are going why do you think the Old Demon faction is just going to leave your parents alone? They’re a huge weak spot, Akira.” Ryo’s fingers tighten into a fist. “I think I woke up too late to save your father, but your mother… we can prevent that.”

Akira growls, his teeth sharpening in his mouth. “Fuck,” he mutters. “This is messed up. The first time I’m going to see her in years, and she’s gonna be attacked by demons. And my dad…fuck.” His voice hitches, and Ryo watches the familiar tears roll down his cheeks. Akira’s sobs are messy, and soon he’s got snot all over the place. 

Ryo looks silently at the other boy. All he knows is that Akira is in pain, and an Akira in pain is not something he wants. Therefore, to alleviate that pain…

“We’ll save your mother,” he reasons out loud. “We must."

 

* * *

 

Of course, as with most things in life, saving Akira’s mother is easier said than done.

The first hurdle is figuring out where the Old Demon Faction would strike, and they spend hours debating logistics, possible routes of attack. It’s a dizzying mess of _they could strike before the plane lands_ and _you idiot, they would strike at the airport itself!_

By the time they manage to hammer out a plan of attack, it is already past midnight, and even when Akira crashes on one of the white couches in Ryo’s apartment to conk out for a few hours there is still a flurry of unceasing activity in the room, the murmuring of demons reporting back on recon, more planning and logistics, and Ryo, in the centre of it all, a look of intense concentration on his face as he stares at the sky. 

Over it all, a cloudless night allowed silver moonlight to stream down on the schemes of demons and men.

It is barely dawn when they move into position; various demons have already infiltrated the airport when Ryo and Akira arrive. Out of the corner of his eye, Akira can see the smallest ones scurrying in the shadows, a flash of feather, fur and scale. All around them, normal people carry on with their day.

Akira watches a little girl, napping in the arms of her father, and tries to calm his rapidly beating heart.

It’s not long before everything goes wrong.

A snake curls covertly around Ryo’s neck, coiling underneath his coat collar.

“My Lord Satan. They have arrived too early!”

The two of them trade a hurried look, and as one run towards the access doors to the tarmac.

 

* * *

 

Sumiko frowns at her phone, and tries for the fifth time to delete the malware app that somehow showed up when she turned on her phone after the plane landed. She doesn’t try again when it fails to even register as an app.

There is barely time to look up from her phone before there is a horrid scream at the front of the shuttle. There is a wet tearing, the sound of bone crunching, and the rest of them gape as a corpse is thrown to the ground, piece by piece.

That’s when the screaming really starts. It's a scene of hell, and soon only she is left.

She casts around wildly, and her eyes land on the fire extinguisher behind the seats. Time slows, her heart pumping with adrenaline as she tries to bring it around. The demon (what else could it be but one?) roars with laughter as it bats her futile attack aside.

“I am Jinmen, pathetic humans! Know the might of a _true_ demon!” It says triumphantly. Its last blow knocks Sumiko into the side of the bus and she blacks out for a moment from the pain.

When she comes to again, she is lying on the floor. Her phone is just an arm’s length away.

As soon as her fingers touch the screen, the world turns white.

 

* * *

 

Far, far away, pale lips stretch into a enigmatic smile. Pale fingers gesture as the universe _shifts_.

“Executing program. Now, it’s all up to you, Mrs. Fudo.”

 

* * *

 

When the dazzling light finally disappears, Sumiko Fudo looks up at the _thing_ that has saved her.

She looks up, and up, and _up_.

There is a horse in the shuttle. A very, very large horse, made even bigger by the feathery wings tucked tightly against its back, rearing up and up and its teeth, flashing knife-sharp, takes Jinmen by the neck and _tears_. 

The other demon screeches, and Sumiko scrabbles at the fire extinguisher she dropped earlier in her shock, clutches it in a firm hold. As the thing flails in her direction she braces her back foot, pivots around her centre of gravity, and _swings_. It collapses like a sack of potatoes.

She looks up again to meet the golden eyes of the pegasus, and somehow Sumiko knows that it approves.

“Mom!” An almost unrecognizable voice calls, and Sumiko turns and sees— not a stranger. She knows those eyes, those tears, and despite everything, it’s still her son.

“Akira!”

Suddenly, a blast of flame, bleaching the surroundings white with midday intensity. She found the worst of it blocked by beautiful feathers, and she screams even as the pegasus screeches in pain. Jinmen, to his misfortune, is instantly vaporized.

When the light dies down, a single figure, impossibly bright, stands in the wreckage of the shuttle.

She— he? — holds a red sword, flickering with white-hot flame. Without a single concern for her white dress embroidered in tongues of ruby fire she walks through the ashes of humans and demon alike, a stoic expression on her also familiar face, framed by waist-long blonde hair.

Sumiko Fudo stares at the face of her son’s childhood friend even as the girl bursts into even hotter flames, a terrible light burning into the corners of her brain even as she turns her face away.

From the opposite side, Ryo laughs. It is not a happy sound.

_Hail St. Michael, the Archangel._

_Do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I watched Houseki no Kuni, so now all the angels are dressed in impeccably tailored white suit-dresses and stockings and gloves. Expect more existential horror since that show's all I've been thinking about for weeks now.
> 
> Also, the tanuki demon is a reference to Uchouten Kazoku, a criminally underrated show. You should go watch it, it's really good! Also it's part of the reason I haven't been writing this fic lol
> 
> Next chapter: Michael is a Dick™, Akira comes out to his mom, Ryo also comes out to Akira's mom, and demons just come out, period. Time for some investigative journalism...


End file.
